Business | Talking Point
talks to...
Chris Davies...
Every autumn for the last 11 years, the NEC has been home to The Print Show. A concept thought up by event director Chris Davies, he has shed some light on his past and the efforts he has put in to create the exhibition it has become.
Where and when did you get your start in the industry?
I joined Link Publishing in 2003 at its old Bristol offi ce in an advertising sales role. I started my career in the print industry working on ReproLink magazine, now known as Print Monthly. During my fi rst three years, I was promoted to sales manager and helped launch the fi rst edition of SignLink magazine.
What fi rst attracted you to this industry? It wasn’t the industry itself that attracted me initially; it was the opportunity to work in marketing and publishing. Before joining Link Publishing, I’d worked in recruitment and estate agency, but I wanted my weekends back and a career with more long-term opportunities. After spending 11 years working on the two magazines, the idea for The Print Show came along at exactly the right time, giving me something new and exciting to focus on.
Through your work, you’ve made a lot of connections. How important are connections like these to your working life? For the fi rst decade of my career, I mainly spoke to people over the phone or by email. That’s just how business was done back then; phone calls, emails and even the occasional fax machine. Over those years, I built hundreds of professional relationships and many genuine friendships across both the print and sign industries. The magazines were monthly publications, so I was speaking to clients every couple of weeks to discuss advertising campaigns. I’m pleased to say that the majority of those clients are still with us today, and many have become much more than just business contacts.
14 | August/September 2026
When I started selling The Print Show in 2014, I believed the relationships I’d built over the previous decade would help get my foot in the door. Thankfully, that proved to be true. Those existing connections gave people the confi dence to meet with me and hear about this new exhibition. Sales have changed dramatically over the past two decades. In my opinion, it’s now much more about building strong relationships than relying on cold calling or hard selling.
How long have you been part of The Print Show? I’ve been involved since the very beginning. A colleague and I came up with the idea on the journey home from a print exhibition at London’s ExCeL. I think the exact words were, “surely we can do something better than that”. That’s how The Print Show was born. The next step
was to contact the NEC to secure a hall, recruit an old colleague and friend as sales manager, and then hit the road with a fl oor plan.
What was the main goal of The Print Show? The original goal was to give the UK print industry an annual event where everyone could come together to celebrate this diverse and innovative sector. As publishers of one of the leading print magazines, we already had strong connections with both exhibitors and visitors. At the same time, there was a clear gap in the market, as an older industry exhibition had passed its peak and was in decline. We wanted to create an event where UK visitors could see the latest technology, discover new products and network with industry professionals without having to travel across Europe or further afi eld.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32
